Uncivil Warriors: Slapstick, cannons, and the Stooges

Is this worth your time?

Look, if you aren't into the kind of comedy where people get poked in the eyes every thirty seconds, just keep walking. This is pure, unadulterated Stooge mayhem. You’re either in for the ride or you’re going to find it exhausting by minute five. It’s perfect for a rainy afternoon when you don't want to think, but it’s definitely not winning any awards for its historical accuracy.

The plot is basically just a thin excuse to get Moe, Larry, and Curly into Southern uniforms. Once they’re in there, the whole thing devolves into the usual screaming matches and accidental destruction. There's this bit where they try to maintain their disguises, but it’s so obvious they’re just waiting for the next excuse to smack each other.

The Cannon Bit

The finale is probably the only reason people still talk about this one. Getting shoved into a cannon and fired back to their own lines? It’s classic stuff. The special effects—if you can call them that—are charmingly cheap. You can practically see the wires or the lack of any real physics involved, but that’s the point, isn’t it?

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Movie Crazy, just without the Hollywood satire. It’s just pure, dumb, physical comedy.

• Moe’s hair is somehow perfect even in a war zone.
• Curly doing his little spinning run in a Confederate uniform is genuinely funny.
• The pacing is frantic, maybe a little too frantic at times.
• There’s a specific sound effect when they get hit that I think I’ve heard in about a dozen other shorts.

The whole thing feels like it was filmed in a weekend, which honestly gives it a certain edge. It’s not trying to be a profound exploration of anything. It’s just three guys in funny hats causing a mess. 💣

I caught myself laughing at a really stupid eye-poke gag, and I’m not even ashamed. Sometimes you just need to see someone get hit with a rifle butt, you know? It’s not high art. It’s barely even low art. But it works if you’re in the right mood.